Page 111 of Thorns & Fire
Torj.
Not Bear Slayer.Not Warsword.
Torj.
For the briefest of moments, he half expected that when he looked up, Wren would be holding out her hand, ready for him to lace his fingers through hers.He’d brush his thumb over her knuckles and then draw her close to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for all to see.
But Wren wasn’t holding out her hand.She was talking to Kipp, their voices hushed, their expressions unusually serious.
‘What’s going on?’he demanded, getting to his feet, pleasantly surprised to find that his head was no longer spinning.
‘Nothing of note,’ Wren said dismissively.
‘Embers...’he warned.Kipp was always full of schemes, and if his charge was getting caught up in something dangerous, he needed to know.
‘You had your secrets, and now I have mine,’ she replied.‘Now hurry up.Zavier, Dessa and I have booked one of the workshop rooms.’
‘Another Warsword has gone missing,’ Cal told him as the two warriors stood guard outside the alchemy workshop.
‘What?’Torj whirled to face him.‘Who?When?’
‘I got a letter from Thezmarr this morning...’Cal said slowly.‘It’s Vernich.’
‘Vernich?’Torj stared at his former protégé.‘Vernich’s retired.He’s been in some fishing village for years.’
Cal shrugged.‘I only know what I’ve been told.Apparently Esylltkeeps in touch with him and never heard back.When he sent some Guardians to investigate, they reported that his place was empty, and there were signs of a struggle...’
‘Fuck,’ Torj muttered.Vernich had always inspired controversy with his harsh brand of training methods and generally nasty demeanour, with Kipp bearing the brunt of his brutality as a shieldbearer.However, the war had shown everyone a different side of the older Warsword.
Torj pinched the bridge of his nose as shock rippled through him.Vernich Warner, the oldest of the three original Warswords from the shadow war, the warrior known as the Bloodletter, wasmissing.
Sighing, he said, ‘I know you have a complicated history with Vernich, but...’
‘He’s one of us,’ Cal finished with a nod.‘Kipp forgave him during the war, and if he could do that after what Vernich did to him, then who am I to hold a grudge?’
‘Truth be told, I don’t know who I feel sorrier for,’ Torj replied.‘Vernich, or the morons who made the mistake of capturing him...’
Cal laughed at that.‘True.He’s a hard bastard, that’s for sure.Audra’s got people out looking.I’ve never seen her so fucking angry.Apparently, she developed a soft spot for him over the years—’
A scream of rage pierced the air, cutting Cal off.
Both Warswords burst into the workshop, and Torj didn’t know where to look first.Countless alchemy tools and bottles were suspended in the air, with Zavier standing in the middle, his face turned to the ceiling, his palms outstretched –summoningmagic.On the far side of the room, Wren was shielding Dessa with her body, Torj’s dagger in one hand, a ball of lightning crackling in the other—
‘Zavier,’ she called, a note of panic in her voice.‘Zavier, you have to calm down—’
But the Prince of Naarva gave another shout, and half the items in the air came crashing down.Glass splintered, flames burst into life in one corner—
‘I can’t save him,’ Zavier choked out.‘Why can’t I save him?’
Cal was at his side, trying to bring him out of whatever trance he was in, shaking him by the shoulders.
‘I’ve failed them,’ Zavier murmured, sending more paraphernalia flying across the room.
Torj was at Wren’s side in a matter of strides, covering her body with his, blocking any flying debris from hitting her and Dessa.
‘Cal...’he warned, as more glass shattered.
‘He won’t stop,’ Cal called desperately.Even with Zavier’s arms clamped to his sides with Furies-given strength, his summoning power raged on.
